Considering a dog: Anatolian Shepherd : Opinions/Experiences?

[watchdogps]

Hmm..there arent many Anatolians in Hungary, and there are no Anatolians that weigh 200lbs. None. A BIG male is 160lbs. A HUGE girl is 150. Most males are 120-145, females 90-120.
Flipping puppies on thir backs isnt a good indicator in a lot of cases because many puppy raisers simply havent done this and the pup may fight and struggle out of fear. Conversely, a real booger of a pup can be fine with being flipped if his breeder has gotten him used to it.

 

[centrarchid]

Nippy is not something that is correct for the breed. Those dogs are behaving that way because they have been raised poorly, incorrect temperament, or being currently mishandled. Please note, I said mishandled, not mistreated. If the situation is not changing, you might want to consider other approaches to what you are doing. I'm not saying you are doing anything wrong, as I dont know what you ARE doing, but I'm saying that is something to consider. LGDs are very much not like other breeds in their thinking and need to be handled accordingly.

Dogs in question are not in my care. Parties responsible for their keep do not seem to have experience with such dogs beyond roles played at work. It is my opinion they (dogs) are overly inclined to interact with me even though most of time I operate on opposite side of fence. Some parties that interact with dogs appear to offer treats as bribes so they can pass to tend stock.

 

[watchdogps]

Dogs in question are not in my care. Parties responsible for their keep do not seem to have experience with such dogs beyond roles played at work. It is my opinion they (dogs) are overly inclined to interact with me even though most of time I operate on opposite side of fence. Some parties that interact with dogs appear to offer treats as bribes so they can pass to tend stock.

Ah, I see. The caretakers should not have to bribe. Sounds to me like the dogs have been raised by people who do not believe LGDs should be handled, interacted with, etc. Sad. They most certainly can, and IMO SHOULD have a bond with at least one human, whom they can trust implicitely.

 

[Ole rooster]

I bet that's why they're called LBGD. They guard animals and not prone to the huggie kissie raising a family atmosphere would give them. My son has quite a number of goats and also has the Anatolian for guarding them. He does a super job at that but is so gentle with my 7 year old grandson. A super dog for what his purpose is. And a fantastic dog given to his disposition to kill what crosses his line.

 

[watchdogps]

I bet that's why they're called LBGD. They guard animals and not prone to the huggie kissie raising a family atmosphere would give them. My son has quite a number of goats and also has the Anatolian for guarding them. He does a super job at that but is so gentle with my 7 year old grandson. A super dog for what his purpose is. And a fantastic dog given to his disposition to kill what crosses his line.

What's the B for?
I do love these guys. They are dedicated and protective of what they love, but those they love can do anything to them. My dogs trust me completely and I trust them. Additionally, they trust me if I say a stranger or animal is okay, they dont protect unless it is warranted. THAT is a good LGD. Mine also love huggies and kissies!

 

[Shireshome]

Well, maybe the Vets scale was broken. But that is what the veterinarian's paperwork said so... And as for where he came from, I suppose I might have been mistaken. This was 6 years ago. All I remember is that I saw the paperwork showing what "farm" he came from and the flight itinerary showing his journey over here I know Hungary was on the list some where and that he landed in Houston Tx. I will go see if I can find the paperwork....
Here is a link I found while writing the above it comes from www.ianimals.com/articles/anatolianshepherddog.html And states the following:

"Although this ancient breed is well known in the Eastern World, it didn't enter the United States until the 1950's. Appearance For most prospective dog owners, their first impression of an Anatolian Shepherd Dog is that it is a rugged, powerful animal. Most males are around 30 to 40 inches inches tall at the whithers and weigh in at up to 200 pounds, though show dogs are usually on the lower end of the scale. Females can be between 26 and 28 inches tall and are slightly lighter at around 150 pounds. However, despite this size, the dog never appears fat (when healthy). The body is stocky and boxish, which adds to the air of power. Anatolian Shepherd Dogs are well muscled and built with big bones." There were many more websites that stated the same thing. So there are some out there apparently that do weigh 200 lbs. And Solomon was one of them.

As far as how I choose puppies, all I can say is that it works for me. Though I am always opened to learning other ways, if you have any suggestions.

 

[seabreeze]

I've owned Tibetan Mastiffs (another livestock guardian breed) for 33 years and agree with watchdog. A LGD pup needs to bond to at least one human and of course, its charges (whether sheep, goat, cattle, horses, chickens, turkeys, etc etc) and they accept family members as part of the peripheral flock.

Pups that have just been tossed out amongst the charges without human contact, minimal human contact, will tend towards *nipping* when they could really take a hunk out of you. The nipping is a warning and they usually do not break the skin but are letting you know, you've gotten close enough, do not advance any further.

They are doing exactly what they are supposed to do INSTINCTUALLY without proper guidance, just a flock/herd/gaggle to protect. Actually nipping is showing respect and discretion given that you are a predator (eyes forward), upright and if you haven't any contact with the pup/dog, a nip is lucky!

 

[dainerra]

Well, maybe the Vets scale was broken. But that is what the veterinarian's paperwork said so... And as for where he came from, I suppose I might have been mistaken. This was 6 years ago. All I remember is that I saw the paperwork showing what "farm" he came from and the flight itinerary showing his journey over here I know Hungary was on the list some where and that he landed in Houston Tx. I will go see if I can find the paperwork....
Here is a link I found while writing the above it comes from www.ianimals.com/articles/anatolianshepherddog.html And states the following:

"Although this ancient breed is well known in the Eastern World, it didn't enter the United States until the 1950's. Appearance For most prospective dog owners, their first impression of an Anatolian Shepherd Dog is that it is a rugged, powerful animal. Most males are around 30 to 40 inches inches tall at the whithers and weigh in at up to 200 pounds, though show dogs are usually on the lower end of the scale. Females can be between 26 and 28 inches tall and are slightly lighter at around 150 pounds. However, despite this size, the dog never appears fat (when healthy). The body is stocky and boxish, which adds to the air of power. Anatolian Shepherd Dogs are well muscled and built with big bones." There were many more websites that stated the same thing. So there are some out there apparently that do weigh 200 lbs. And Solomon was one of them.

As far as how I choose puppies, all I can say is that it works for me. Though I am always opened to learning other ways, if you have any suggestions.

well, reading through some of the other articles on the site, I'd say find another resource. Every breed of dog that they describe, they list as being several inches and many pounds heavier than what the dogs actually are.

ETA: I'd say that the articles are written by "average" people. Kind of like the ones I see every day who insist that my 76lb GSD pup must weigh at LEAST 120lbs....

 

[watchdogps]

Well, maybe the Vets scale was broken. But that is what the veterinarian's paperwork said so... And as for where he came from, I suppose I might have been mistaken. This was 6 years ago. All I remember is that I saw the paperwork showing what "farm" he came from and the flight itinerary showing his journey over here I know Hungary was on the list some where and that he landed in Houston Tx. I will go see if I can find the paperwork....
Here is a link I found while writing the above it comes from www.ianimals.com/articles/anatolianshepherddog.html And states the following:

"Although this ancient breed is well known in the Eastern World, it didn't enter the United States until the 1950's. Appearance For most prospective dog owners, their first impression of an Anatolian Shepherd Dog is that it is a rugged, powerful animal. Most males are around 30 to 40 inches inches tall at the whithers and weigh in at up to 200 pounds, though show dogs are usually on the lower end of the scale. Females can be between 26 and 28 inches tall and are slightly lighter at around 150 pounds. However, despite this size, the dog never appears fat (when healthy). The body is stocky and boxish, which adds to the air of power. Anatolian Shepherd Dogs are well muscled and built with big bones." There were many more websites that stated the same thing. So there are some out there apparently that do weigh 200 lbs. And Solomon was one of them.

As far as how I choose puppies, all I can say is that it works for me. Though I am always opened to learning other ways, if you have any suggestions.

There are some people in Turkey who are breeding for HUGE dogs, but this is a more recent phenomenon, and they arent working dogs they are kennel dogs that they "wrestle" ie dog fight. I have the good fortune of having as a mentor someone who has been in the breed as long as they have been in the US, and she has many many dogs from Turkey since the 50s. Huge has never been a priority over there. Good working dogs are the priority. In fact, many over there are smaller because they eat less and last longer than great big dogs do.
Re the article, the math doesnt even work out on that. A 28 inch ***** that weighed 150 lbs would be a blimp! My foundation ***** was 28 inches with substantial bone and she topped out at 104. My 30 inch male is 125. I know dogs that weigh 200 lbs - mastiffs. Anatolians simply do not weigh 200lbs. People tend to overestimate weight, not realizing that ASDs actually have a less dense bone than some other breeds (also why they can be sensitive to anesthesia). People usually think my boy is 150-175.

 

[watchdogps]

This is Siri, my foundation girl. 28inches, 104 lbs.